CIS (Spain)
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| CIS (Spain) | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas |
| Native name | Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas |
| Abbreviation | CIS |
| Formation | 1963 (as Instituto de la Opinión Pública); 1977 reconstituted |
| Headquarters | Madrid |
| Jurisdiction | Spain |
| Employees | ~200 (varies) |
CIS (Spain)
The Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas is a Spanish public research institute dedicated to opinion polling, social research, and political sociology. Established during the late Francoist period and reconstituted in the transition era, the institute occupies a central role in Spanish public life, producing data used by parties such as Partido Popular, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Vox, Podemos, and Ciudadanos as well as institutions like the Congress of Deputies, Senate, Moncloa Palace, and regional governments including Catalonia, Andalusia, and Basque Country. Its work is widely cited by media outlets such as El País, El Mundo, ABC, La Vanguardia, and broadcasters including RTVE, Atresmedia, and Mediaset España.
History
The institute originated as the Instituto de la Opinión Pública in 1963 under the auspices of Francoist administration entities linked to ministries and state research agencies like the Ministry of Information and Tourism and later interacted with academia represented by Complutense University of Madrid, Autonomous University of Barcelona, and research bodies such as the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Reconstituted legally after the 1977 democratic transition, it came under frameworks shaped by laws debated in the Cortes and influenced by figures and institutions involved in the transition, including leaders around the Union of the Democratic Centre and political actors from the Moncloa Pacts. Over successive decades directors appointed by cabinets from administrations led by personalities associated with Adolfo Suárez, Felipe González, José María Aznar, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Mariano Rajoy, and Pedro Sánchez have steered its evolution, expanding surveys to cover issues linked to events such as the 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, and the 2008 Spanish financial crisis.
Organization and Structure
Administratively attached at times to ministries like the Ministry of the Presidency (Spain), the institute has a governing board with membership drawn from political parties represented in the Congress and nominations from universities including University of Granada and University of Valencia. Its internal divisions include departments for sampling, survey design, statistical analysis, and archives; collaborations are frequent with academic centers such as the Institute for Public Goods and Policies and international organizations including the European Social Survey and OECD. Directors and senior researchers have included academics linked to institutions like Autonomous University of Madrid and research networks such as the European Consortium for Political Research.
Functions and Activities
CIS conducts national and regional opinion polls on voting intention, government approval, and social attitudes toward issues involving entities like European Union, NATO, and matters stemming from legal frameworks like the Spanish Constitution of 1978. It designs longitudinal studies monitored by teams formerly connected to projects at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and produces barometers used by parties such as Partido Popular and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party during electoral campaigns for the general elections and regional contests in Andalusia and Catalonia. The institute also runs training and dissemination activities targeted at students from centres including Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and participates in comparative surveys with partners like World Values Survey.
Methodology and Research Practices
CIS employs probabilistic and quota sampling, weighting procedures, and multivariate techniques; methodological standards draw on statistical literature and tools used in comparative initiatives such as the European Social Survey and guidance from bodies like Eurostat. Fieldwork has been coordinated with polling firms, municipal registers such as those maintained by INE, and local electoral rolls in municipalities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. Methodological transparency includes publication of technical notes and questionnaires for many studies, with debates shaped by contributions from scholars affiliated to Pompeu Fabra University and University of Salamanca.
Major Surveys and Publications
The flagship output is the monthly Barómetro, a recurrent survey series alongside special studies on topics like corruption linked to cases such as the Gürtel case and social concerns after events like the 2008 financial crisis; major publications include monographs, working papers, and data sets used by institutes such as Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales. Comparative modules have fed into international repositories like the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and the European Social Survey.
Influence on Spanish Politics and Society
CIS data shape campaign strategies for electoral actors including Partido Popular, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Podemos, and regional parties such as Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya; policymakers in administrations from Junta de Andalucía to the Government of Catalonia consult its findings for public policy debates related to institutions like the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) and media coverage by outlets such as El País and La Sexta. Academic research citing CIS sources appears in journals affiliated with universities like Universidad de Granada and informs analyses by think tanks such as Real Instituto Elcano.
Criticism and Controversies
Critics have questioned sampling frames, methodological decisions, and perceived politicization after appointments by cabinets led by parties including Partido Popular and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. Debates intensified around publication timing during election campaigns involving contests like the 2015 Spanish general election and legal challenges invoking norms overseen by electoral boards and tribunals such as the Supreme Court of Spain. Allegations and defenses have mobilized scholars from University of Barcelona and journalists at El Mundo, while calls for reform cite models used by institutions like the British Social Attitudes survey and the German Federal Statistical Office.